News

Call on the
Government of Malaysia to stop its nuclear power development plan

October 11, 2011

Friends of the Earth Japan (FOE Japan)Citizen Nuclear Information Centre
Fukushima Network for Protecting Children from RadiationKorea Federation for
Environmental Movement (KFEM/FOE South Korea)Friends of the Earth Australia (FOE Australia) Friends of the Earth Malaysia (Sahabat Alam Malaysia) Consumers Association
of Penang and Third World Network

MEDIA RELEASE

Civil society organisations from Japan, South Korea, Australia and Malaysia call on the
Government of Malaysia to stop its nuclear power development plan.

The groups said they are convinced beyond doubt that nuclear power has no place in
Malaysian’s quest to chart a sustainable energy future.

The groups are Friends of the Earth Japan (FOE Japan), Citizen Nuclear Information Centre,
Fukushima Network for Protecting Children from Radiation, Korea Federation for
Environmental Movement (KFEM/FOE South Korea), Friends of the Earth Australia (FOE Australia), Friends of the Earth Malaysia (Sahabat Alam Malaysia), Consumers Association
of Penang and Third World Network.

Following a two-day public forum (Oct 8 and 9) which provided an insight into the potential
of energy efficiency and renewable energy to achieve a healthy energy mix in the near future
for Malaysia, they urge the government to increase its support for these sectors instead of
spending taxpayers’ money on nuclear technology which has proven time and again to be
economically, environmentally and socially harmful.

The forum also heard firsthand of the sufferings of the people of Fukushima from the March
11 tsunami-triggered crisis that saw the meltdown of the three reactors in the Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Eri Watanabe (Ms), Nuclear and energy Campaigner, Friends of the Earth Japan said:
“The accident in Fukushima once again reminded us that once a severe accident happens,
environmental and social impacts are irreversible.

So far, the Japanese government cannot sufficiently protect their people from radiation.
However, the government still continues its policy to promote exports of nuclear power
technology. This is morally wrong because its own people are still suffering so much from
the accident.

I strongly recommend that the Malaysian government and people rethink the introduction
of nuclear energy for your prosperity and for the next generation.

Hideyuki Ban (Mr) of Citizen Nuclear Information Centre (CNIC) said:

“The Japanese Government and electricity utilities insisted that Japanese nuclear power
technology is superior. However, Fukushima showed us that they were so wrong.

The fallout from the nuclear reactors contaminated a vast land area, the air and the sea. I
want the Malaysian Government and its people to recognise that the Fukushima tragedy
could happen to any country that embraces nuclear power.”

Representative of the Fukushima Network for Protecting Children from Radiation, Seiichi
Nakate (Mr) said:

“I would not want Malaysian people to experience the tragedy that people in Fukushima are
now facing. I came here only because I wanted to tell you this. In Fukushima, more than
100,000 families have been separated because of the nuclear accident. And even now, one
million people still live in contaminated areas with deep sufferings and anxiety.

Human beings must abandon nuclear power plants. We must not allow a single nuclear
power plant to be built anymore.”

Kim Hye Jeong (Ms), Executive Coordinator of KFEM said:

“Korea’s nuclear technologies are questionable as shown by its track record of 646 minor
and major accidents in a period of 32 years since the installation of its first nuclear power
plant in 1978.

“We are appalled that the APR1400 nuclear reactor that has yet to be commercially tested in
South Korea might just be the type of reactor that the Malaysian government is considering
buying from us.

We condemn the South Korean Government’s plan to export such sub-standard technology
to a developing country like Malaysia under the pretext of international technical
cooperation,” she added.

Dr Jim Green, National nuclear campaigner of FoE Australia said:
“Australian uranium was used in the Fukushima reactors that were destroyed in March. We
Australians do not want to be responsible for similar disasters in Malaysia.”

He also said over a 50-year lifespan, a single nuclear reactor is responsible for 1,500 tonnes of
high level nuclear waste and a staggering 35mil tonnes of low level radioactive tailings
waste. The Malaysian government should not bequeath this toxic legacy to future
generations.

He further reminded that nuclear power is the only energy source with the capacity to
produce weapons of mass destruction.

“It is far better to choose energy efficiency and renewables,” he added.

Following the forum, several Malaysian civil society groups present pledged to work
together in a concerted campaign against the proposed nuclear power plants.